Let there be light!..A smile on every face, happiness everywhere!!

Well! From the top of the sacred observatory, looking down it doesn't look a pretty picture.

Menacing, dark clouds are descending and engulfing our world, which was chugging along nicely not so long ago. But hey! hang in there.Don't lose hope?Even this shall pass. We have weathered many a storms, this is just another one. Don't let the pall of gloom, dampen your spirits and take away the luster out of your life.

A very happy Diwali to all of you!

Let there be light!!

Yours Truly

Scarecrow right ahead !!

Mumbai Police has come up with a novel idea for keeping a vigil on rash driving. I found it rather amusing and well worthy of a postcard. Read on ..........Ha! ha !!

On highways and flyovers in Mumbai, they have placed life size cut-outs of cops in uniform holding speed guns to freeze the drivers who indulge in over speeding. The idea is , the moment they will see these dummies from a distance, they will be forced to step off the accelerator.

Scarecrow in Khaki !..........now that's different. Isn't it??

The day Mumbai crawled !!

I haven't seen anything of this magnitude. The day, 15th Oct 08.....the occasion, 61st birthday celebration of an eminent political figure. That day, the star studded Bollywood faced a real scare....that day the whole of Mumbai got invited.

What surprised me the most was the speed at which the landscape of the famous city got a makeover........so what if it only lasted for a day. You name it, the man of the moment, was on every poster, kiosk, billboard, right across the city.

Come eve of 15th Oct 08, the buzz had reached a feverish pitch. Sea of people filled the good old Shivaji Park, and thousands who couldn't make it inside had gathered around the periphery.

As always, average people like me, my friend and cousin joey, were at the receiving end of this mega display. After the hard days grind, people were stuck for hours in traffic jams. If you ask me there's very little they could have done about it. For the power brokers living room extends beyond the concrete confines.... for them the whole world is their playground.

And who says only 16 is sweet.............61 is even sweeter. Isn't it? Ask the man??

Hungama's bad boy !...........ALL PARENT'S BEWARE!!

Do you think this image is in bad taste? For some of you who aren't familiar with this character, all I can say is, wait till you see him in action and hear him talk on the TV. You haven't seen anything yet.This is the picture of Shin Chan the spoilt brat who wrecks havoc on Hungama channel.

My conclusion and of many others I have spoken too, is that he is a rank bad influence on young kids. The dialogues, especially Shin Chan's script leaves much to be desired. Precaution is better than cure. There are too many options available for kids these days and I am mighty sure,one character less wouldn't make viewing any less exciting an experience.

HAPPY DUSSEHRA!! Good Wishes from the sacred observatory

Wishing everyone out there , a very happy dussehra. May the good lord be with you down every road you take. PEACE!!

Naya Josh....Morning Walker! PICK ONE!!

A short while ago I was channel surfing and saw a funny infomercial on HISTORY channel about morning walker. Yes! that fabulous work of scientific engineering that makes you walk lying on your back. Barring exceptional cases, especially those who can't stand upright, this tiny walker is meant for people who love sitting on theirs butts.

The sight of all kinds of bodies vibrating in harmony was a hilarious sight. Haven't got over it still. Look at these two pictures closely and you will understand that there can't be any substitute for an early morning stretch out in the open............ and of course science can't recreate the magic of chirping of birds, the cool morning breeze.

Hey !give me the breeze, the birds, the trees.............coz' am still ALIVE !!

THE MAKING OF KID-MAN!!

Wait a second! this isn't what you are thinking. I am not talking about one tall,blond, long-legged siren from down under, the world calls Nicole Kidman.

This Kid-man is a young fella, a wanna be, a dynamo.......but alas! despite all the promise,he is losing all his innocence faster than we can imagine. Yes! this post is about him, it's about the end of innocence. It's about a raging fire, which might cause a havoc to the world at large tomorrow... if it hasn't already.

The exposure is immense these days. Our kids are getting exposed to the good, the bad and the ugly side of human existence at the same time , at a fairly early age. Well! some might argue, what's wrong with it? Better educational facilities, children of Information age, growing in the midst of economic & scientific progress.... What we are witnessing is a natural progression!

Agreed! Point well taken. Kids of today aren't just kids, but they are actually super kids.

Now read this, (1) School kid shoots openly on the campus and guns down dozen other students.(2) A boy of a prestigious school in Delhi captures himself and a girl from the same school in sexually explicit frames , and the MMS pictures becomes talk of the town.(3) Few kids of another premium school caught driving rashly under the influence of alcohol.(4) A school picnic turns into a nightmare, a school girl gets raped.(5) Umpteen cases of bright School kids committing suicide and the reason, high expectations of parents.

Think about it? Who is to blame.............the parents, the teachers, the society?? Well if you ask me, each one has played a part. How?? I think I will keep it for some other day. Too much playing on my mind right now. I really want to address all the three separately. Because I strongly believe, every child is special. It's how we guide them and nurture them, will decide and pave the way for a brighter tomorrow.

It's a holy day!A SUNDAY!!...time for the holy massage.

Who doesn't love getting pampered. Especially on a Sunday morning, the excitement reaches a crescendo. For us, the men folk, a visit to the neighbourhood saloon is a must on the list on any given Sunday. Isn't it ?

With due respect to all my fellowmen, for some , it's also a time to out do, out paint, and out look their partners. Men for sure, have started spending more time at the saloon these days. And by the way, for the record, our saloons are also fast emerging as the largest consumption ground of cucumber.

But by far, the best part according to me, is the holy head massage. After getting rid of those extra inches of hair , this part is a heavenly experience. According to your mood you can choose the brand of oil.Missing the cold mountain breeze? Go for the Navratan red. Want to discover the world by the sea shore? Go for the coconut one.

WOW!What a feeling !! Highly recommended by yours truly. Nice way to massage away your worries.

REMEMBERING WHAT HE SAID?

Who doesn't love freedom. Though not very many find the time to stop and think about the price it came to us. Am I sounding a little more patriotic today? Or was the picture of the great man towering over all those letters in today's paper, too powerful an image? I really don't know.

Look around, we have everything today. Don't we? We are fortunate to have found a share in the progress of this great nation. But still for some strange reason,the sky above doesn't appear to be as blue as it should be. Deep inside we aren't as much happy and satisfied as we can be. Today's India, despite making a mark globally, isn't shining as much as it should be.

On this day, 2nd Oct 08, I don't think it's a bad idea to remember some of the ideals of Bapu Ji.

" LOVE, PEACE, COMPASSION !! "